BAKERSFIELD, Calif.—CSUN defeated CSU Bakersfield 7-5 Saturday night to even the season opening baseball series between the two clubs.

The teams went scoreless in the first three innings. Branden Berry and Justin Toerner recorded back-to-back singles to lead off the CSUN fourth. With Dylan Alexander at the plate, CSUB pitcher Andrew Hansen attempted to pick Toerner off at first. Hansen's throw went wide and ended up down the right field line, allowing Berry to score and allow Toerner to advance to third.  Alexander grounded out short, but Toerner scored on the play for a 2-0 CSUN lead.

Matador starter Kenny Rosenberg struck out seven CSU Bakersfield batters through the first four innings. Sergio Robles and Mahlik Jones recorded singles in the bottom of the fifth to bring Dustin Frailey up to the plate with one out. Rosenberg got Frailey to pop out to first. Rosenberg walked Cody White to load the bases. CSUB's third-place hitter, David Metzgar walked to earn the RBI. Connor O'Neil relieved Rosenberg and walked Max Carter to tie the score at two. Chance Gusbeth lined a shot to the warning track to left which was caught by Bobby Schuman for the final out.

Toerner opened the top of the sixth with a single off of Roadrunner reliever Isaiah Moten. Alexander's sac bunt allowed Toerner to move up a base. A wild pitch allowed Toerner to advance to third before Bobby Schuman walked. Elias Orona bunted, Moten bobbled the grounder, as Toerner scored.  Moten struck out William Colantano looking for the second out. Both runners advanced on a CSUB passed ball. Fred Smith popped out to first for the final out.

Yusuke Akitoshi worked out a walk off of CSUB's third pitcher, Sergio Luna, to lead off the seventh. Albie Weiss singled to left before a Luna wild pitch allowed both runners to move up a base. Berry walked to load the bases. With the CSUB infield in, Toerner worked the count to 3-2 when he was hit by a Luna pitch which created a 4-2 CSUN advantage.

Carter, the starting first baseman for CSUB, relieved Luna to match up against Alexander. Alexander would record a sac fly that plated Weiss. Schuman struck out. A second CSUB passed ball allowed the runners to move up a base. Orona popped out to right to end the frame.

Frailey walked to begin the CSUB seventh. White doubled to left to score Frailey to cut the CSUN lead to two. Metzgar reached on an infield single, allowing Frailey to go to third. O'Neil struck out Carter which allowed the Matadors to play at double play depth. Gusbeth also struck out, allowing CSUN to play the infield back against pinch hitter Christian Deaton. Deaton walked on four pitches. Nick Vehlewald hit a shot back towards O'Neil on the mound. Vehlewald would reach first on an infield single. Frailey scored on the play. Metzgar rounded third and was thrown out in a rundown, 1-5-2.

Smith singled with one out in the eighth. Akitoshi faked a bunt and slapped a single past the left side of the CSUB infield. Carter struck out Weiss. Berry walked to load the bases for Toerner.  Carter got up 1-2 in the count before a Toerner blooper landed in short left scored two runs. Carter struck out Alexander to get out of the inning.

White led off the bottom of the ninth with a double down the left field line. Metzgar grounded out to short which moved White to third. White scored on a Matthew Franco ground out to third to make it the final 7-5.

CSUN pitchers have struck out 23 CSUB batters through the first two games of the series.  O'Neil got the win with 4.1 innings of relief. Toerner ended the night 3-for-4 with three RBI's. Smith and Colantono had two hits for the 'Dors. White was the only CSUB player with multiple hits as he went 2-for-4. He also scored two runs.

“That was a marathon of a game,” said CSUB head coach Bob Macaluso. “We made some mistakes early, but we couldn't get that consistent pitching from our guys to stop them. We would get close and then we would let a couple of runs come in. If we kept them at five or six, we would have had a chance, once they got that seventh, it made it more difficult for us.”

The series concludes Sunday afternoon at CSUN. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. The Roadrunners return home next weekend when the Roadrunners host defending Big East Champion St. John's for a three-game series. Tickets are available through the CSUB Athletics' Ticket Office at (661) 654-BLUE or tickets@csub.edu, or online at Vallitix.com.

~www.GoRunners.com~